CHITRAL: A snow leopard was spotted in a remote and mountainous village of Lot Koh Valley by three villagers on Thursday.

Munoor village council chairman Shah Abdur Rahim told Dawn on telephone that the snow leopard was seen from a close range in a field by residents Buzurg Shah and Bahader Shah when they were returning home from a mosque, while a woman viewed the wildcat from the lawn of her home.

He said the predator was later found to have attacked a corral of the village and preyed on a goat and had left behind a part of its carcass.

Mr Rahim said the wildcat then disappeared into the village’s highland.

Farooq Nabi, divisional forest officer of wildlife division Chitral, who was present in the village, told Dawn that he had already arrived at the scene with his field staff to monitor the leopard’s movement and ensure the safety of both the community and the protected animal.

He said it was a major development to spot the elusive wildcat by naked eyes. He said the predator had disappeared from its centuries-old popular habitat in Chitral situated in the Hindukush mountains.

Earlier this year, the iconic wildcat was spotted by camera-trapping method in the Gahiret-Golen conservancy.

DRUG ADDICTS REHABILITATED:

The first batch of 24 drug addicts hailing from different villages of Chitral reached home here after having been rehabilitated in an accredited drug rehabilitation centre in Peshawar, where they were provided with medical treatment and psychological support.

Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Rao Mohammad Hashim Azim told the media that the rehabilitated persons got social counselling and vocational skills training so they could start a new life with dignity and confidence after recovery.

He appreciated the services of Save Life Foundation, which runs the rehabilitation centre for the drug addicts in Peshawar.

He said the initiative was an important milestone in the ongoing struggle against drug abuse while more batches will also be sent to the centre till the recovery of last drug addict as the district administration was poised to make Chitral drug-free.

Mr Azim said that drug addicts were a segment of society that needed love, guidance and constant support, not hatred or isolation.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2025